The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-22
sLossoN BACK FROM WALES.
He Says that PATHS Castle Craig-y-Nos Is
q Marvel of Magnificence.

He Says that PATHS Castle Craig-y-Nos is
q Marvel of Magnificence.
New York Sun.
One of the first passengers who came ashore
when the big steamship Umbria reached her
pier on Saturday night was George Franklin
Slosson, the young Chicago billiard champion.
He wore broadcoth suit and carried in a big
green bag the cues that he has used for the last
eleven years His face was brown as berry.
He had just come homo from Wales, where he
had been the guest of Nine. Adelina Patti and
He had great time at the CASTLE and he talked
about the visit with enthusiasm.
lie started with Signor Nicolini and the diva
on May IA, and on the 22d the railway train
landed him at Craig y-Nos. The castle stands
out upon crag away up on the side of one OF
the Welsh mountains and it looked grotesquely
made so many whimsical additions to the origi-
nal pile that it is hard to make head or tail Of
the accumulated designs. The interior was a
revelation to the visitor. He says it was fairly
bewildering in the magnifcence of the furnish
lngs. Both the diva and her husband are bill
lard enthuiasts and they lavished money in lit
ting up the billiard parlor of the castle. Slos-
son says that nowhere in the world is there such
another billiard room.
1t is the northern wing Of the castle, the
first floor. A rich partition divides the parlor
into two apartments In is English
pocket billiard table as big the old-fashioned
American table and in the other is an American
table. The latter is marvel of costly work
Inanshp It is made of antique oak, richly in
laid with ivory and silver and bronze plaques
Soft carpets cover the floor, expensive paintings
hang upon the walls, and near the frescoed cell
ing is gallery for string orchestra. A
grand piano stands in one corner Of the gallery.
The orchestra does not play there any more
though, for its music has been replaced by
an orchestrion that is set in the partition. The
diva spent $3.50, 900 in perfecting it. The or
chestrion is inlaid with bronzes, too. and is fit
ting now with cylinders that play 100 different
operas. The diva had the music started when
Slosson went into the parlor to play exhibit
tion game with her. 1t sounded to HIM like the
music of an orchestra of sixty pieces, and filled
the castle with melody.
The collection of cues in the billiard parlor is
a remarkable one 1t contains sticks that were
presented to the diva and Nicolini by many ad-
mirers Among them is one from president
Diaz of Mexico. others from Vignaux, Plot. and
young Jacob Schaefer. and Joseph Dion. PATHS
tutor. There also four of different design
that Slosson himself prese nted to Patti
Another wing in the southern end of the castle
is furnished on the same scale OF splendor as a
breakfast room, and beyond that are two long
conservatories The first is used a dining
room, and amid its plants and flowers the diva
and her guests sit down to the evening banquet.
The other conservatory is full of little cascades
and singing birds, and the atmosphere is laden
with the mingled perfumes of many kinds Of flow
In this conservatory the diva takes her even
ing promenade with Signor Nicolini. At night the
whole main floor was aglow with clusters OF
electric lights.
When Slosson first viewed sunrise from the
crest of the crag in front of the castle he says
the valley spread out away below him like q
view of fairy land. Running through the fert g
prospect like a silver thread the trout
stream, where Patti catches trout She owns
many miles of the stream. Beyond the stream,
and reached by rustic bridge. stretches the
park. Four miles away is Sgnor Nicolini's
hunting grounds, and a salmon stream. OF this
stream the diva owns several miles too.
Slosson found that Patti ruled the little do
main like queen. She appeared to be immense
" popular wherever she went. Whenever she
picked out team from her stables OF sixteen fine
horses and had the team hitched up to one of
her ten carriages the Welshmen and their wives
We'd in doing homage to her.
Slosson remained at the castle for a fortnight,
and during that time Mrs. Wasserman, a mar
ried daughter of banker Jesse Selgman, was
one of the guests Slosson was to have stayed
three months. but business affairs compelled
him to cut the visit short, and come home. He
went to Paris to try and arrange q match or two
with Vignaux, the French champion. but the
negotiations came to nothing. He got to Paris
just in time to see the Grand Prix race and drop
500 francs the Baron. In his four-days stay
in London he saw the close of the great 10, 600
point match between Peel and Mitchell that Peel
won after tight struggle. The play was scien-
tific but Sosson does not think it compares in
this respect with what American champions can
10 with the